News

John Fleischman Retires After 26 Years with OTAN

If you have only been in adult education for a few years, you may not know John, but under his leadership technology has become an everyday part of the adult education programs in California. John and a few others wrote the original grant establishing OTAN back in 1989, back when desktop computers computers were physically huge, and the Graphical User Interface (GUI) was just beginning. In technology years, it was a lifetime ago. The Internet was in its infancy and OTAN served as "the" Internet service provider for adult education agencies all over the state.

For a "flashback in time," be sure to read John's final Director's Article in the Spring issue of OTAN's Online Connection (PDF) newsletter (pages 4-5). It's worth a read. And John, we wish you all the best and appreciate your many contributions to California adult education, always encouraging the use of technology in the educational process. You will be missed!

Parent Engagement Strategies for English Language Learners

In the March 16, 2016 article, Meriwynn Mansori, Manager of Curriculum at VIF International Education, states that research shows that parental engagement pays off for all students. Regardless of family income or background, students with engaged parents are more likely to: Read more...

OTAN Celebrates 160 Years of Adult Education History by Refreshing the History Site

Adult education has been an important part of California's education system since the early years of statehood. The first recorded adult school was sponsored by the San Francisco Board of Education in 1856. Adult education in California grew with the expanding population of the state and was particularly responsive to the needs of immigrant populations. Through the years, California adult educators have provided leadership to the nation in the development of innovative instructional practices and creative educational solutions.

In 2006, as commissioned by California Department of Education, Adult Education Office, OTAN created a book, a Web site and multimedia to celebrate 150 years of adult education in California. In this 160th year, OTAN celebrates by refreshing the same Web site with updated programming and media. We welcome you to revisit or visit for the first time, this valuable resource for adult education.

Family Literacy Activities from Dollar General

Dollar General takes literacy seriously. So seriously that they have partnered with Discovery Education to improve youth literacy by providing some Family Literacy Activities that parents and family members can use with children to support literacy development. There are currently 10 activities families can enjoy together.

New Reentry Toolkit and Education Framework

The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, has just awarded four prisoner reentry grants totaling $5.7 million. It has also issued a new reentry toolkit of resources to improve outcomes for students formerly incarcerated. The grants have gone to Portland Community College (OR), Saint Paul Public Schools (MN), Shelby County Board of Education (TN), and the School District of Philadelphia (PA). They focus on career and technical education, reentry services, and student job training activities that build on existing efforts of the four grantees to improve youth reentry. Read more...

Career Pathways Leading Improved Services

Ensuring that everyone in this nation is equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed is crucial in our competitive, global economy. One key part of this effort is ensuring that young people and adults of all skill levels who are transitioning to new careers or looking to enhance their careers receive the supports they need to do so. Too often, though, our systems for helping hard-working Americans acquire marketable and in-demand skills can be complex and difficult to navigate for students, job seekers, and employers alike. The good news is that career pathways are a promising solution to that challenge. Continue reading...

How Workforce Can Partner with Adult Education

A recent episode of the Workforce Central podcast features an interview with Jeff Carter, the Executive Director of The National Council of State Directors of Adult Education. Jeff discusses the biggest misconceptions about literacy and adult learning, how workforce can partner with the literacy system to achieve better outcomes, and the top things for workforce directors to keep in mind when it comes to literacy and adult education.

TDLS 2017 - Save the Date!

Next year, March 10-11, 2017, North Orange County Community College will be hosting OTAN's Technology and Distance Learning Symposium. So save the date and we will see you there!

The California Adult Education Professional Development Calendar Offers Many Opportunities for Professional Development

If you have never visited the California Adult Ed PD Calendar, we would like to encourage you to visit soon. All three leadership projects, OTAN, CALPRO, and CASAS, use this calendar to list their upcoming workshops. We are confident you will find a topic of interest.

Save Money - Offer Professional Development On-site

Now is the time to schedule professional development activities. We are looking for adult schools that are willing to take a leadership role in providing Professional Development involving the use of technology to teachers in their region. We will provide the training. You just provide the computer lab. There is no charge for this service. If you would like to participate, call us at 800-894-3113 or e-mail lswanson@otan.us for more details!

June's New Web-based Class Activity!

Summer is here and free online test prep resources are a great way to keep your students engaged and learning outside the classroom. Mometrix Academy offers numerous free practice test questions and videos lessons you can use to prepare your students for the high school equivalency (HSE) exam of their choice. Many sites offer practice tests, but few offer the student instruction in areas of deficiency.

Contact us at 916-228-2580 or e-mail support@otan.us to schedule one of our workshops at your school this summer or fall! We will do most of the work for you. We just need your available computer lab.

YOUR SCHOOL HERE!

If you would like to see your school on our list of Face-to-Face workshops, just contact us and we would be delighted to work with you to offer our free professional development.

OTAN offers a wide variety of no-cost, hands-on, three-hour workshops. We will come to your school if you have at least 10 interested participants and an approved lab. If you have a smaller school and need more participants, consider coordinating with other small schools in your area to fill your workshop. If there is a technology topic not listed that your staff needs assistance with, let us know and we will discuss creating a new workshop to meet that need. Here are some of our workshop titles:

Visit our Web site to see the complete list including descriptions and prerequisites for each.

Teaching Resources

Web "Sitings":

EDU Hashtags for EducationWhile this probably is not a complete list of educational hashtags and many are for K-12, I thought it would be somewhere to start for those interested in using Twitter more, both in and out of the classroom.

Quizalize
This is a formative assessment tool, much like Kahoot it!, Socrative, or Quizizz, but it has some unique features. It is played as a team, which motivates students to do well for the team as well as for themselves, creating a double motivation. There is no download or setup. Students can play on any Internet connected device such as laptop, tablet, or smartphone. There are some free quizzes made by other teachers available, or you can create your own with a free account. Like Quizizz, you can play this in class or assign as homework. Students go to quiz.al and enter the class code that you will give them. Here's a link to a great overview of Quizalize to get you started.

Listen Current
This site presents engaging material in the form of podcasts, many of which are done by NPR, that will help your students develop their understanding of English. The current events section keeps things relevant for students, and the lessons state whether they are at Middle or High School level. In addition, the lessons offer comprehension questions as well as discussion questions. Some also offer a link to a Socrative quiz you can import if you have a Socrative account. You might pick out a listening lesson each week and lead debates and discussions about that particular topic. It will encourage student participation, and it helps them acquire both academic and real-world language skills. As with many sites these days, they offer a free and a premium edition.

Bozeman Science
Paul Andersen is an educational consultant and YouTube creator living in Bozeman, MT. Paul is an experienced educator having taught science in Montana for 20 years. Paul was the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year, and was also one of four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching Paul has created hundreds of YouTube science tutorials. In 2012 Paul was selected by YouTube as one of ten YouTube Edu Gurus. So if science isn't your cup of tea, but you must teach it as part of a high school diploma or high school equivalency program, these videos could be a life saver or great for flipping your class. Just select Videos in the header on the main page.

ReadWorks
With a free ReadWorks account you can search the library for lessons and reading passages by grade level, Lexile score, reading skill, subject area, and text type (fiction or non-fiction). In your ReadWorks account you can create digital binders of the lesson plans and reading passages that you want to use. If it's not too late, they also offer reading packs that can provide you with some good material to send home with your students this summer. You will also want to explore this one if you teach ABE, ASE or Advanced ESL classes.

VideoNot.es
If your school uses Google Drive (and even if you don't) this tool called VideoNotes is a great tool students can use to take notes on videos they have watched as part of a class assignment. VideoNotes allows them to load any YouTube video on the left site of the screen and then type your notes on the right side of the screen. It integrates with their Google Drive account, which will then allow them to share notes or collaborate on projects, just as they do with any Google Drive document. Not only that, but if they want to take notes on a new video, all they need do is go to Google Drive, select New > More > and VideoNot.es is on the list of new documents they can create. Simple integration.